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Unwelcome News

Author: Golden Butterfly
last update Last Updated: 2025-04-26 17:23:01

ARIA

After a week of being confined primarily to the blue suite, cabin fever sets in with a vengeance.

The walls seem to close in despite the spacious rooms, and I find myself staring longingly out the windows at the expansive gardens below.

"I need fresh air," I announce when Xavier brings lunch, another task he's taken to performing personally despite the household staff's availability. "Just a short walk. I'm going stir-crazy in here."

Xavier studies me carefully as I stand to emphasize my point. "Dr. Pia did say light activity would be beneficial at this stage," he concedes. "The gardens, maybe. But not alone."

"I wasn't planning a solo expedition," I reply dryly. "I assumed you'd insist on accompanying me."

Something that might be amusement flickers in his eyes. "You're learning."

The Harrington gardens are spectacular even in early spring. Maintained pathways winding between geometric hedges and early blooms.

Xavier matches his stride to my slower pace with his hand resting ligh
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Comments (3)
goodnovel comment avatar
KierraC
I’m pretty sure evil gma is watching and doesn’t like how Xavier’s acting especially with Aria who she doesn’t feel is suitable of her family name. I’m glad they didn’t get a chance to kiss or sleep together because I feel like some bs is about to happen…
goodnovel comment avatar
zeezie
Eleanor is behind her sudden return and I bet she will definitely regrets her action in the long run
goodnovel comment avatar
Litna Davis
Just when I believed their relationship was improving.
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  • The Substitute Bride's Revenge    Ghost at the Gala (2)

    VIVIANXavier recovers quickly.By the time the woman reaches us, we're both wearing our best social smiles, even though I can feel mine trembling at the edges."Mr. Harrington, Ms. Taylor," one of her entourage smiles. "Allow me to introduce Ms. Elizabeth Sinclair, CEO of Sinclair Technologies."Elizabeth Sinclair.I should be relieved. I should be relaxing, because this is our business partner, our golden ticket, the woman who's going to secure my future. But I can't relax, because something about this is all wrong. The way she's looking at us, the way Xavier's hands are trembling almost imperceptibly, the way my instincts are screaming that I'm in danger."Ms. Sinclair," Xavier says smoothly, extending his hand. "What an honor to finally meet you in person."She takes his hand, and I swear I see something pass between them."The honor is mine, Mr. Harrington," she replies in a voice like honey over steel.Smooth, cultured, with just a hint of an accent that makes her sound even more

  • The Substitute Bride's Revenge    Ghost at the Gala

    VIVIANThe camera flashes are blinding as Xavier and I step out of the limo with his hand resting lightly on my back.My smile is wide, polished, and practiced. Months of pretending have made it second nature. To the world watching, we’re the perfect power couple: rich, beautiful, untouchable.If only they knew how much I want to claw his eyes out right now.“Smile wider,” Xavier mutters under his breath with his megawatt grin locked in place as reporters shout questions at us.“I am smiling,” I shoot back through gritted teeth, keeping my expression picture-perfect.“Ms. Taylor! How are you feeling about tonight?”“Mr. Harrington! Have you set a wedding date yet?”“Are the rumors about the triple merger true?”I wave at the crowd, graceful and poised, playing my part like the seasoned performer I am. This is what I’m good at—charming, dazzling, making everyone believe in the fantasy. Even if that fantasy is crumbling faster than anyone realizes.We glide through the marble lobby of th

  • The Substitute Bride's Revenge    The Cracks

    VIVIANThe sound of skin slapping against skin echoes down the hallway, followed by breathless moans that make my stomach drop.My chest tightens, and for a moment, I can’t move. I’m frozen outside the guest bedroom door with my fingers gripping the crystal doorknob so hard my knuckles turn white.The noises are unmistakable. Raw, intimate, and absolutely soul-crushing.Not again.My heart pounds so hard it feels as though it’s trying to break free from my chest. Slowly, I twist the handle and slowly push the door open just a crack. What I see on the other side confirms my worst fears.Xavier is bent over the mahogany desk, his shirt tossed carelessly on the floor and his muscular back glistening with sweat.Beneath him is one of the newer maids with auburn hair and wide, innocent eyes, gripping the edge of the desk as her uniform bunched around her waist.Her face is flushed and her lips parted in pleasure.“Yes, Mr. Harrington,” she gasps between moans. “Please... don’t stop.”I fee

  • The Substitute Bride's Revenge    The Debut (5)

    The tension in the small space becomes almost suffocating. The elevator is designed to impress, with its crystal fixtures and gold accents, but right now it feels more like a pressure cooker about to explode.Silence stretches between them as the elevator begins its ascent.Sophia's eyes remain fixed on Aria constantly, studying every detail of her appearance, every nuance of her behavior. She's trying to reconcile what she's seeing with what she thinks she knows, and the cognitive dissonance is clearly eating away at her composure.‘It can't be her’, Sophia's thoughts scream, even as the evidence mounts before her eyes. ‘Aria Taylor was fat, plain, pathetic. She had no style, no grace, no presence whatsoever. This woman is elegant, sophisticated, powerful. She has breeding, class, everything that little nobody lacked. But there's something about her smile, the way she tilts her head, the curve of her lips...’The memories come flooding back unbidden—Aria at family dinners, trying so h

  • The Substitute Bride's Revenge    The Debut (4)

    Sophia stands with the poise of someone born into wealth and privilege at the building's elaborate entrance.A string of pearls adorns her neck and her makeup is flawless. However, something shifts in her expression the moment her eyes land on their esteemed guest, Elizabeth Sinclair.Her confident smile falters for just a fraction of a second, and her sharp blue eyes narrow slightly as they study the latter’s face with an intensity that makes the air between them crackle with tension.There's a flicker of recognition—or perhaps confusion—like she's seeing a ghost or trying to solve a puzzle that's just out of reach.Her perfectly composed mask wavers again as she tilts her head almost imperceptibly, her gaze lingering on Aria's eyes, then her cheekbones, as if searching for something familiar in the shadows of her face.But then, just as quickly as it appeared, the moment passes once more.Sophia blinks, and her practiced composure snaps back into place.The confusion is buried benea

  • The Substitute Bride's Revenge    The Debut (3)

    ARIAThe convoy pulls up to the Harrington building like something out of a blockbuster movie, a spectacle that could make even world leaders jealous.I watch through the tinted windows as six black luxury vehicles glide in perfect formation around us, flanked by motorcycle escorts whose engines rumble with authority that shakes the downtown streets.One of the Bentley’s in the convoy rolls to a stop at the entrance, where a red carpet stretches out, waiting for tonight's most anticipated guest.Me.Camera flashes explode like fireworks outside, illuminating the crowd of reporters and onlookers who've been camped out for hours, desperate to catch a glimpse of the elusive Elizabeth Sinclair."Ready, Mrs. Sinclair?" Mei's voice cuts through the hum of anticipation in the car.Her tone is calm, but I can see the flicker of excitement she can't quite hide. She's been waiting for this moment almost as much as I have, having been by my side through every painstaking detail of preparation.I

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